Another photo from Gordon Smith's archives, this one of Lord Howe Island.
A world heritage site, Lord Howe Island is formally part of NSW, but lies 600 km to the east from the mainland.
This is a very beautiful place indeed. Visitor information can be found here.
In winter 1985, Gordon Smith and five others set out in three vehicles to cross the Simpson Desert west to east. They were following the French Line, a track made by oil exploration companies in the 1970’s.
This is actually quite a remarkable shot because it brings out the sheer difficulty of the terrain.
Each year visitors die in the Australian outback because of their failure to take simple precautions - the right vehicle in the right condition, letting people know what you are doing, having reserves of food and especially water.
I often use Gordon's photos on this blog because they are simply so good. Have a browse.
The global economic downturn had variable effects across Regional Australia. In general, the impact was less than in metro areas, although some centres dependant on particular projects were hit. Many regional centres also came out of downturn earlier.
I mention this because I see from the Singleton Argus that labour shortages have reappeared in this Hunter Valley mining and agricultural centre. Hat tip to Wollombi Valley for the story.
Australian Herbs, Spices from Vic Cherikoff and Dining Downunder.
